Kim Jong Un Flaunts $200K Maybach and $10K Watch, Mocking UN Sanctions

Switched to a luxury car, Mercedes-Maybach,
Showcasing the use of luxury items such as watches and clothing

Despite UN sanctions, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have switched his official vehicle to a Mercedes Maybach. The Kim family’s use of luxury items is becoming increasingly evident.

Kim Jong Un Spotted in a Maybach S650

According to SBS, on the 9th, Kim Jong Un showed up in a new official car at the National Mothers’ Meeting held in Pyongyang on the 3rd and 4th. In front of the Pyongyang Gymnasium, people lined up to take a photo with Kim Jong Un, who was seen getting out of a luxury car.

The logo of Maybach was clearly visible on the rear door of the official car, and the trunk revealed the letters S650. The vehicle is presumed to be a 2019 Mercedes-Maybach S650 model. The base price without any additional options amounts to approximately $200K.

When Kim Jong Un visited Russia last September, observers spotted him using a Maybach limousine after disembarking from his official train. Since the vehicle lacked the Maybach logo and the S650 letters, it’s assumed the official car was replaced within the last one or two months.

UN sanctions target… rampant smuggling of vehicles to North Korea

The Mercedes Maybach is subject to the UN Security Council (UNSC) export ban against North Korea. North Korea Sanctions Resolution 2094 prohibits importing luxury goods, including luxury cars, into North Korea. Additionally, Resolution 2397 bans exporting transportation means to North Korea.

Despite this, Kim Jong Un is openly using the Maybach vehicle. In 2019, Kim Jong Unwas also revealed to be using a Mercedes Maybach S600 Pullman Guard through North Korean Central TV.

The New York Times (NYT) referenced a report from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit research organization that monitors smuggling networks. This report detailed the intricate smuggling of two vehicles into North Korea over five months. The operation involved transit through five countries, including China, Russia, and Japan.

On the 7th, authorities caught a Japanese import-export company attempting to smuggle a luxury Lexus car into North Korea illegally. The Lexus is widely known as a vehicle favored by Kim Jong Un.

According to Asahi Shimbun, the company tried to smuggle a Toyota Lexus car from Yokohama port to North Korea via Southeast Asia. The price of the vehicle exceeds 10 million yen (approximately $86,000).

“Let’s overcome the disaster” speech… with a luxury watch on his wrist

Several instances have revealed the failure of UN sanctions against North Korea. In particular, the media has captured the Kim family’s flaunting of luxury items such as luxury watches, clothing, and accessories.

In October 2020, during a speech at the 75th anniversary of the party’s founding, where he urged “the people to overcome the disaster,” observers noted Kim Jong Un wearing a Swiss IWC ‘Portofino Automatic’ wristwatch, valued at approximately $1,185. He also wore this watch at the ‘Hwasong-17’ launch site last year.

Kim Jong Un’s 10-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, also sparked controversy by wearing a black coat, presumed to be a Dior product worth approximately $2,030, when she observed the ‘Hwasong-17’ test launch last March.

By. Kim Sung Wook